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Tackling Crime

None of us like to hear about crime happening in our town, especially violent crime. The long-term trend is downwards but we do see spikes from time to time. Crime is also changing in its nature reflecting society, with more of it taking place online. I always feel that one crime is one too many but it is a reality that there has always been crime.

It is important to stop and prevent crime, as well as catching and punishing the perpetrators. Reducing crime as much as possible is always our goal. One of the best ways to disrupt and stop crime is intelligence from the community passed to the police. Community leaders need to encourage the public to support the police and help them in the fight against crime. This is a view I have always taken as a community leader myself, a responsibility that I take seriously.

I was very disappointed to observe the Labour Leader of Crawley Borough Council publicly attacking our local police on Twitter, inferring they were somehow responsible for a recent stabbing in Crawley town centre of what looks to be a drug gang-related incident.

He tweeted that he had been examining Sussex Police financial documents for many years, claiming that he could allocate their precious resources in a better way. Those in glass houses should not throw stones. Council Leaders have ultimate responsibility for Council finances and yet Crawley Borough Council has recently overspent by over £400,000 on the relocation of its Data Centre. Earlier this year the Council lost £1.4 million of Crawley Right-to-Buy housing receipts that was earmarked to provide local affordable housing. Perhaps a bit less time trying to tell the Police how to do their job and keeping his own house in order might be a better strategy?

We all need to support the police in their fight against crime and I am pleased to see the good work Crawley Police are doing in making arrests for this latest serious crime. We all want to see increased numbers and Sussex Police are recruiting more Officers.

Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group